State Rep. Warner criticized
I recently received a call from State Rep. Ryan Warner, R-Perryopolis. I was asked if I would participate in a phone town hall meeting where Warner would take questions and let the district constituents know what he has been doing and what he would like to do as a state representative.
Warner said he does not believe oil and gas companies operating in Pennsylvania should have to pay extraction fees to the state like all other states charge. Warner went on to say the state legislature was working on a bill to reduce or eliminate all property taxes with a provision that makes it unlawful to ever again raise property taxes.
Having worked all my life, put our kids thru school, managed to keep a car running, pay our home off, finally able to retire on a fixed income, the prospect of not having to pay property taxes sounded pretty sweet, but then I thought, if it sounds this good, there has to be a catch.
Who will pay for the things needed like education – state and local police – infrastructure maintenance and repairs – sewage and water, etc.?
The answer is obvious! State and local governments will need to raise revenue on you and me with higher income taxes, higher fees on our hunting, fishing licenses, higher water, electric and phone bills, taxes on clothing, non RX medical needs. The list goes on and on.
When I look at it this way, I must conclude that I am not getting a tax break – I am getting a tax shift and it will cost me a lot more. So who is getting a tax break?
How about slum lords with 10 or 40 properties? How about McDonald’s or Sheetz or Walmart? Large dairy farms that will be able to raise the price of milk?
I had a question concerning this property tax proposal for Warner. My question was: If property taxes are eliminated, will they be eliminated for all property owners including business and rental properties? Mr. Warner did a good job of ducking and dodging my question without giving a clear answer.
Warner is in Harrisburg to represent special interests, reduce special interests taxes and keep the money flowing to the top. Reducing my property tax, while charging me higher taxes and fees on everything else, is not in my best interest. We pay more, the rich get richer.
James Sloan
Hopwood